Analysis of Suicide in Australia from 2000-2021: Patterns, Trends, and Associated Risk Factors

Tanish Saajan

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Introduction

Suicide is a significant public health issue with far-reaching consequences for individuals, families, and society.

This analysis aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the patterns, factors, and rates of suicide in Australia.By examining relevant data and applying statistical analysis, our goal is to gain insights into the prevalence, trends, and risk factors contributing to suicide incidents in Australia.

Understanding the dynamics of suicide is of utmost importance for reducing its occurrence, identifying individuals at risk, guiding targeted suicide prevention initiatives, and improving overall mental health outcomes in Australia.

Geographical Distribution of Suicide Cases Across Australian States

1. The geographical distribution reveals significant variations in the number of suicide cases among the different states of Australia from the year 2000 to 2021.
2. New South Wales have the highest count of suicides, with 9,403 cases, while the Northern Territory has the lowest count of 522 cases.
3. This information highlights the disparities in suicide rates across different regions of Australia.

Gender Standardised Suicide Rates over two decades

1.The line graph clearly demonstrates an increasing number of suicide rates for both genders over the 2 decades.
2. The number of incidents among males consistently surpasses that of females by approximately four times.
3. Additionally, the data indicates that the year 2019 recorded the highest number of suicide incidents, after which the number of incidents for both the genders have gradually decreased over the following years .

Comparing Health to Health Mental Health Services Used in Year 2018 vs 2021

1. The comparison between the years 2018 and 2021 reveals a significant increase in the utilization of health services such as Health to Healh by individuals experiencing suicidal thoughts.
2. As, the utilization of the health services has been increased from 27 percent to 56 percent.
3. This increase in service usage has contributed in reducing the number of suicide incidents in the year 2021.

Cumulative Risk of Suicide by Employment Status vs Gender

1.The Bar graph emphasizes the connection between employment status, gender and the risk of suicide.
2. Based on the graph, it is evident that individuals who are not in the labor force or are unemployed face a higher risk of being involved in suicide incidents.
3. And, this observation holds true for both the genders.

Suicide Count by Age Group

1. The below bar graph indicates that people within the age group of 35-54 are more involved that is have a higher risk of being involved in the suicide incidents.
2. Whereas , individuals between the age group of 5-14 have the lowest risk of being involved in suicide incidents as compared to other age groups .

Top 10 Factors Leading to Suicide Incidents in the Year 2021

1. The horizontal bar graph represents the top 10 factors that contributed to suicide incidents in Australia in the year 2021.
2. Where, the primary causes identified were a personal history of self-harm and the disruption of family through separation and divorce.

Conclusion

  1. The states New South Wales and Queensland exhibit the highest number of reported suicide cases.

  2. Both males and females who are not in the labor force face a significant risk of suicide, with males being more susceptible than females.

  3. Following the implementation of health awareness initiatives such as Health to Health, there has been a significant decrease in the incidence of suicide in Australia.

  4. The majority of individuals who have died by suicide fall within the age range of 35-54 years.

  5. The primary factors contributing to suicide incidents in Australia in the Year 2021 include self-harm and the disruption of family dynamics through separation and divorce.

References

1. Omkar G. (2021). Suicide Rates Overview 1985 to 2021 [Data set]. Kaggle. Retrieved from https://www.kaggle.com/datasets/omkargowda/suicide-rates-overview-1985-to-2021

2. Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Causes of Death, Australia. Retrieved from https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/causes-death/causes-death-australia/2021#intentional-self-harm-deaths-suicide-in-australia

3. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (n.d.). Health service use in the last year of life. Retrieved from https://www.aihw.gov.au/suicide-self-harm-monitoring/data/deaths-by-suicide-in-australia/health-service-use-in-the-last-year-of-life

4. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (n.d.). Mental Health Services Activity Monitoring. Retrieved from https://www.aihw.gov.au/mental-health/monitoring/mental-health-services-activity-monitoring#data